Fidelis Makka
Encyclopedia
Lt. Colonel Fidelis Makka (born 21 December 1950) was Military Governor of Benue State
, Nigeria
from 21 July 1988 to 2 January 1992 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida
.
Local Government of Niger State
.
On 4 January 1971 he enlisted as a reader officer at the Nigerian Defence Academy
, Jaji and on 23 June 1973 he was granted regular combatant commission.
He served in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
from May to November, 1976.
He attended the Senior Staff Course at the Nigerian Defense Academy from September, 1981 to June, 1982.
Other posts were Commander 142 Infantry Battalion, Nigerian Army in 1978 and Staff Officer at the Military Secretary's Office, Army Headquarters.
He was the Deputy Defence Adviser to the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Cameroon before being appointed Governor of Benue State.
He was an energetic and determined administrator committed to transparency of government. He systematically completed abandoned projects that the Aper Aku
civilian administration had started. He re-designed and completed the Aper Aku Stadium, built the IBB Square, Fidelis Makka Library and Pauline Makka Women's Centre, and completed six general hospitals. He repaired roads, rehabilitated water works and extended rural electrification. He established Benue State University
by edict in 1991.
He forced the people to clean their environment under the supervision of soldiers in monthly environmental sanitation exercises that later became institutionalized.
Benue State
Benue is a state in the Middle-Belt region of Nigeria with a population of about 2.8 million in 1991. Tiv, Idoma, and Igede are spoken predominantly. There are other ethnic groups as well. These include Etulo and Abakwa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
from 21 July 1988 to 2 January 1992 during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida
Ibrahim Babangida
General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida CFR DSS mni , popularly known as IBB, was a Nigerian Army officer and military ruler of Nigeria...
.
Background
Fidelis Makka was born on 21 December 1950 in Gawu, SulejaSuleja
Suleja is a city in Niger State, Nigeria, pop. local government area, 216,578,just north of Abuja, capital of the Suleja Emirate. It is sometimes confused with the nearby city of Abuja, due to its proximity, and the fact that it was originally called Abuja before the Nigerian government adopted...
Local Government of Niger State
Niger State
Niger State is a state in the western part of Nigeria and the largest state in the country. The state capital is Minna, and other major cities are Bida, Kontagora, and Suleja. It was formed in 1976 when the then North-Western State was bifurcated into Niger State and Sokoto State.The state is named...
.
On 4 January 1971 he enlisted as a reader officer at the Nigerian Defence Academy
Nigerian Defence Academy
The Nigerian Defence Academy at Kaduna is the only Military University in Nigeria.The NDA was established in January 1964 as a reformation of the British run Royal Military Forces Training College , which had been renamed the Nigerian Military Training College on independence...
, Jaji and on 23 June 1973 he was granted regular combatant commission.
He served in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
from May to November, 1976.
He attended the Senior Staff Course at the Nigerian Defense Academy from September, 1981 to June, 1982.
Other posts were Commander 142 Infantry Battalion, Nigerian Army in 1978 and Staff Officer at the Military Secretary's Office, Army Headquarters.
He was the Deputy Defence Adviser to the Nigerian Embassy in the Republic of Cameroon before being appointed Governor of Benue State.
Governor of Benue State
General Ibrahim Babangida appointed Lt. Colonel Fidelis Makka as Military Governor of Benue State on 21 July 1988, a post he held until 2 January 1992.He was an energetic and determined administrator committed to transparency of government. He systematically completed abandoned projects that the Aper Aku
Aper Aku
Aper Aku was elected governor of Benue State, Nigeria in October 1979 and reelected in October 1983, leaving office after the military coup in December 1983 which General Mohammadu Buhari came to power.-Background:...
civilian administration had started. He re-designed and completed the Aper Aku Stadium, built the IBB Square, Fidelis Makka Library and Pauline Makka Women's Centre, and completed six general hospitals. He repaired roads, rehabilitated water works and extended rural electrification. He established Benue State University
Benue State University
Benue State University is a state-owned and operated university in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Its 2006 student enrollment was over 19,000 served by 429 faculty. It offers both undergraduate and graduate programs and has a catalog of fifty graduate programs across seven colleges...
by edict in 1991.
He forced the people to clean their environment under the supervision of soldiers in monthly environmental sanitation exercises that later became institutionalized.